You are what you wear: Patrick GhariosFounder of Hipernation

Despite being a self-confessed “big time” techie, Patrick Gharios also has a penchant for adventure and music. He was a software engineer at Eriksson until 2014, when he launched Hipernation – an online streaming platform for live events which so far include Arabnet, TEDxBeirut and conferences for Human Rights Watch and Carnegie Middle East Center.

Are you going for a Mark Zuckerberg look – T-shirt and hoodie? He has so many decisions to make every day, other than his clothes. I don’t have as many decisions as Mark Zuckerberg! But it’s really about investing your time to create products instead of thinking about clothes. I’d rather be remembered for the work I do.

Hoodie, Gap

Wristband, Fitbit Flex This tracks my activity. I’m into all kinds of sports: biking, running, hiking, skiing, watersports, tennis, basketball… also chess, does that count? I used to play chess during breaks at university. I’ve always been a geek.

Jeans, Diesel It’s my favorite brand of jeans.

Shoes, Converse I think laces complicate things and when you’re playing music it’s easier to kick the drum. The first time I bought a pair of Converse without laces was ten years ago. I had a wedding and a gig afterwards at the AUB Outdoors festival so I bought a pair and it became my favorite kind of shoe ever since. I have them in every color.

T-shirt, Pull & Bear I think I love T-shirts because I wasn’t allowed to wear them in school – it’s a sort of rebellion. I usually buy several of the same T-shirt. They’re simple and work anywhere, at work, when I want to play the drums or go out for a drink.

So you’re a drummer? I started [playing]when I was 18 in reaction to a break up. I wanted to make a change in my life. I have a rock, blues and funk band called Monkey Therapy.

Watch, IWC Aquatimer 2000 I love diving watches; the details and the way the mechanics work inside are amazing. It’s the latest of what engineering has reached.

Why did you choose to go into tech? It allows for expression, creativity and innovation. You come up with solutions for people to live better. It’s like art for me; code is poetry, it’s a language. I launched Hipernation because there was a need. It’s a non-traditional, alternative solution for people to get live coverage. Now I’m working on a new project to integrate my passion for music into Hipernation, streaming live music events.

About us

Tired of focusing on everything that goes wrong in Lebanon – and there’s a lot – the team at Executive Magazine decided to explore what’s going right in the country: those creating beauty, exploring new frontiers, engendering hope. We found a whole new world of Lebanese artists, connoisseurs and visionaries producing a rich bounty of new ideas, designs and concepts – and now we’re on a mission to promote these people and the beauty they create.Read more